Professor James Hull: 

Professor James Hull is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at the ISEH. Professor Hull started his journey in sports and exercise medicine by completing his undergraduate training in exercise physiology and medicine at St George’s Hospital Medical School in 2000. He then undertook his specialist training in general and respiratory medicine in London, before completing his PhD in physiology in 2010. From 2011 to 2012, Professor Hull was a Clinical Lecturer at the National Institute for Health Research, while also spending time at the Exercise Centre at UCLA in Los Angeles.

Alongside his academic contributions, Professor Hull has served as a Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London since 2012. His areas of expertise include chronic cough, persistent throat symptoms such as discomfort and closure, unexplained shortness of breath, and asthma.

His main clinical and research focus centres on exercise-related respiratory problems. This includes work evaluating and helping athletic individuals of all abilities with unexplained breathlessness, wheezing and/or coughing. He works with several elite and professional sporting organisations to help athletes overcome their respiratory problems and is currently working with the International Olympic Committee and the English Institute of Sport as a respiratory expert.

Tomasz Kowalski M.Sc: 

After a decade as a top-level triathlon coach, Tomek Kowalski transitioned to research in 2023. His coaching work has been recognized with honors such as the Order of Ikkos from USOPC for supporting American Olympic medalists or TEAM100 program for top Polish coaches. Now, he combines coaching, applied exercise physiology, and sports science focusing on sports cardiology, respiratory muscle training and exercise in hypoxia.

Workshop: Practical application of respiratory muscle training in endurance sports. Gain insights into the theoretical background and current guidelines, followed by a hands-on session where participants will have the opportunity to train with around 10 devices.

Pia Heinrich B.A: 

Pia Heinrich is a CrossFit Level 3 Coach and Personal Trainer, certified Pre- and Postnatal Coach, Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist, and Nutrition Coach. Over the years, she has specialized in guiding women through pregnancy and postpartum, helping them build strength, confidence, and long-term health. Her mission is to help women realize that safe exercise in pregnancy is not limited to walking, it can also include lifting weights and more intense workouts when approached with the right guidance.

Workshop: Breathing during Pregnancy and Postpartum. The workshop explores the role of breathing, how it impacts the growing belly and surrounding muscles, and how proper techniques can support core and pelvic health. Participants will learn how to use breath effectively during training to reduce the risk of diastasis and pelvic floor dysfunction, and how breathwork can play a key role in postpartum recovery.

Josef Tatschl M.Sc: 

Josef Tatschl is a former athlete who became a researcher. His current work focuses on enhancing breathing training to optimize health and performance, using measures of peripheral physiology and brain imaging. In addition, he serves as a consultant to high performers, with an emphasis on behavioral interventions.

Workshop: Breathe to Connect. The Psychophysiology of Breathing and Its Role in Health and Performance
Deep, shallow, fast, slow – or even completely paused? Changes in our breathing patterns are essential for adapting to different situations and, at the same time, they reflect our mental and physical state. Because breathing is under both automatic and voluntary control, it offers a unique opportunity: through specific techniques, we can consciously influence our psychological state, physical health, and performance. This talk explores the effects of various breathing patterns and techniques—and examines the underlying mechanisms that make them effective.